Former Nigeria international and Portuguese league Golden Boot winner Richard Owubokiri has called for the resignation of the Nigeria Football Federation board, insisting that only a fundamental change to the system can return Nigerian football to its glory days.
Owubokiri, who represented Nigeria between 1982 and 1992, is speaking from the perspective of a player who experienced Nigerian football during one of its most important eras and went on to make a name for himself in European football.
The former striker played for Portuguese giants Benfica before becoming a major star at Boavista, where he scored 30 league goals during the 1991/92 season to finish as the Portuguese top scorer. He also won the Portuguese Cup with Boavista and enjoyed spells with Estrela Amadora, Belenenses and other clubs in Europe, Brazil and the Middle East.
Now, the former Super Eagles striker believes the people running Nigerian football must make way for a new direction.
“It’s time for change,” Owubokiri said.
The former Nigeria international argued that the problems confronting the country’s football are not new and have been allowed to persist for far too long.
“The system hasn’t worked for ages,” he said.
According to Owubokiri, the failure of the existing structure has significantly hindered the development of Nigerian football and prevented the country from making the most of the enormous talent available to it.
He believes the solution should not be limited to changing coaches or making temporary adjustments whenever the national teams suffer setbacks.
Instead, Owubokiri wants a complete rethink of how Nigerian football is administered.
“Only a change of the system will see the nation return to its glory days,” he said.
His comments come as pressure continues to build around the NFF leadership, with former internationals and football stakeholders increasingly calling for major changes in the administration of the game.
Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has also demanded that the current NFF board step down, arguing that Nigeria needs new leadership if the country’s football is to progress.
The pressure has intensified following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and continuing concerns over the performance and management of the country’s national teams.
For Owubokiri, however, the crisis is bigger than one failed qualification campaign.
The former striker believes the decline has been gradual and reflects a system that has failed to produce the kind of football administration Nigeria needs.
His own career illustrates the level at which Nigerian players once competed. After leaving Nigeria, Owubokiri played in Brazil and France before moving to Portugal, where he won the Portuguese league title with Benfica and later became one of Boavista’s most prolific attackers. His 30-goal campaign in 1991/92 remains the standout season of his European career.
It is against that background that Owubokiri is demanding a new beginning.
For the former Super Eagles striker, Nigeria still has the talent and football culture to compete among Africa’s best — but the system overseeing the game must first be changed.
And his message to the current leadership is unmistakable: it is time for change
